Monday, February 27, 2017

February 27, 2017 (EURONEWS) A march to commemorate the second
anniversary of the killing of Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov has taken
place in Moscow. The organisers said 15,000 people took part; the police
put the figure at 5,000. A smaller rally was held in St Petersburg. At the
march which gathered political parties and opposition movements, one banner
read “Boris Nemtsov is a hero of Russia”, while there were chants of “Russia
without Putin”, “Russia will be free” and “Hands off Ukraine”.

Five Chechens have denied charges
of murdering the 55-year-old, who was a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin and one
of the president’s principal opponents. But Nemtsov’s supporters say the
investigation – which the president said he backed – has failed to uncover who
ordered the killing. “Boris Nemtsov was (the symbol of) a ‘free-thinking
Russia’ for us; democratic values which we all aim for, such as free elections
and no corruption,” said one of the marchers, Moscow resident Ekaterina
Getgarts.

“Unfortunately, the name of Boris
Nemtsov for Russia as a whole, as opposed to big cities like Moscow or St.
Petersburg, does not mean anything yet. Unfortunately. But he represents
another missed opportunity for Russia to get on the path towards being a normal
country,” said another supporter, Boris Schur. The marchers had not been
authorised access to the spot where, on 25 February 2015, Nemtsov was gunned
down on a bridge near the Kremlin as he walked home from a restaurant with his
girlfriend, but many later laid flowers there.

The march, largely peaceful, was
nonetheless marked by an assault on ex-prime minister and government opponent
Mikhail Kasyanov who had green ink thrown in his face. Nemtsov – a former
deputy prime minister under Boris Yeltsin’s presidency – had been working on a
report on Russian involvement in Ukraine and had accused Putin of launching an
illegal war. The victim’s supporters believe the pro-Moscow leader of Russia’s
Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, was behind the murder. But he denies it and
in December Russian investigators refused to call him as a witness.

Friday, February 24, 2017

February 21, 2017 (Sputnik) - Sweden keeps
strict position toward Russia over Ukraine and supports all measures introduced
by the European Union regarding the country, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom
said Tuesday. "I explained [during the meeting] that Sweden's stance is in
place and firm in relation to Russia's actions against Ukraine. Sweden fully
supports the European Union's policy with regard to Russia, including those
measures that have been adopted by the European Union. I stressed the necessity
of implementing the Minsk agreements. And also stressed Russia's particular
responsibility in this regard," Wallstrom said to reporters after the
meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Wallstrom is currently on an
official visit to Moscow.

Moscow's top diplomat expressed hopes for improving
relations between Russia and Sweden. His counterpart noted the multifaceted
nature of the bilateral ties.

Relations between Moscow and Stockholm grew tense
in 2014 when Sweden, an EU member, upheld sanctions against Russia following an
escalation of the crisis in Ukraine and Crimea's reunification with Russia.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

February 23, 2017 (UNIAN) Ukrainian Oplot MBT in action Prime Minister
of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman during his visit to Kharkiv has inspected the
performance of the Ukrainian-made Oplot main battle tank. The prime
minister uploaded on his Facebook page a video showing Oplot maneuvering. The
Ukrainian Oplot main battle tank is a combat vehicle of the 21st century. It
can cleverly hide its position by digging itself into the ground or creating an
effective smoke screen. The tank can overcome two-meter-deep fords. With
additional load, it is able to dive five meters deep. Read also Ukrainian MBTs
for Thailand The MBT is combat-capable at temperatures ranging from minus 40
degrees centigrade to 55 degrees. Oplot engages targets at a distance of up to
five kilometers, both day and night, in all weather conditions. Latest armor
system protects the tank from modern shaped-charge projectiles.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

February 22, 2017 (http://www.president.gov.ua/)Threat of full-scale
aggression of Russia still exists, as stated by President Petro Poroshenko at
the operational meeting of the administrative board of the Armed Forces. “This
threat oozes out not only through the uncontrolled areas of border in Donbas,
but along the entire border line with Russia and even wider, which convinces us
of hostile intentions of the Russian Federation,” the Head of State in his
speech.

The evidence of that is the deployment of up to
50 thousand Russian troops in close proximity to our borders. According
to Petro Poroshenko, they have about 470 tanks, over 1700 armored combat
vehicles, about 390 artillery systems and 220 multiple launch rocket systems,
about 490 combat aircrafts, hundreds of helicopters, 24 warships.

“Russians create new and expand
and modernize the existing bases, other objects of military infrastructure. By
the way, there is no guarantees that this multitude will not come on us
someday,” the Head of State said adding that rapid militarization of the
occupied territories is taking place now.

“In Donbas, Russia formed two
army corps consisting of 6 mechanized brigades, 1 infantry brigade, 3
regiments, 2 artillery brigades and other units. Their management, manning and
comprehensive maintenance is ensured by the aggressor – Russia. Regular units
of the armed forces of the Russian Federation are additionally involved in
these troops. About 3.5 thousand people already,” the President informed.

On February 20, 2014, the Russian Federation launched the military
aggression against the sovereign state of Ukraine. Three years have
passed since the treacherous attack by the neighbouring state, despite its
commitment to respect Ukraine’s
sovereignty and independence, as well as its status of one of the guarantors of
security and territorial integrity of Ukraine according to the 1994
Budapest Memorandum. Although the Revolution of Dignity clearly
reconfirmed the aspirations of the Ukrainian people to build European,
democratic and prosperous Ukraine, the Kremlin responded by attempting to
deprive Ukrainians of the right to define their future by their own. Russia
launched a well-planned military operation, which resulted in the temporary
occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol as
well as in bloodshed in Donbas.

Thereby Russia has challenged the
value-based world order in a try to revive the geopolitical thinking of the
past with domination of the rule of force and spheres of influence.

The appalling number of victims
highlights the immorality of Kremlin’s war against the Ukrainian people: over 9
800 Ukrainian people were killed, about 23 000 wounded and almost 1.8 million
of internally displaced persons. 7.2 % of Ukrainian territory has been seized
by Russia and millions of the citizens of Ukraine live there under occupation
and endless terror. Russia persists in sending new fighters,
weaponry and ammunition to Ukraine
through the section of the Ukrainian-Russian state border of 409.7 km long, which
remains out of control of the Ukrainian government. Occupied Crimea, closed for
any form of international control and monitoring, is now an area for systemic
violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms, targeting, first of all,
the Ukrainian activists and the indigenous people of Crimea
- Crimean Tatars. The citizens of Ukraine are being groundlessly
detained and imprisoned, activists are being disappeared, their families and
friends are facing intimidation. The Mejlis, a representative body of the
Crimean Tatar people, was banned.

Russia continues to fuel the
conflict in Donbas, sends regular troops and mercenaries to the territory,
which is out of control by the Ukrainian Government, and keeps reinforcing its
militants and terrorists with the sophisticated weaponry and military
hardware. Russia remains unwilling to implement the Minsk Agreements thus undermining
all efforts taken by Ukraine
and the international community towards de-escalation and stabilization in the
region. Moscow’s propaganda has no limits to lie, falsification and
doublespeak. Human life has no value for the aggressor. Besides their actions
in Ukraine, the Russian structures were regularly spotted interfering in the
internal affairs of other sovereign states. The aggressive policy of the
Russian Federation pose a threat for the entire world order.

We are grateful to all partners
for their strong support and solidarity. By adopting the UN General Assembly
Resolutions “Territorial integrity of Ukraine” and “'Situation of human rights
in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine)” the
world has clearly said “no” to violation of territorial integrity and
sovereignty of an independent state, condemned the occupant and reconfirmed its
human rights commitments. Personal and economic sanctions have been a powerful
demonstration of the unity of purpose of the world leading countries in
response to the outrage and defiance of international law by the aggressor
state.

Saturday, February 18, 2017

February 18, 2017 (president.gov.ua) In the
framework of the working visit to Germany, President of Ukraine Petro
Poroshenko had a meeting with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. Following
the meeting, the Head of State informed that Ukraine remains among priorities
in the policy of new U.S. Administration.

“We have once again received a
powerful signal that USA stands with Ukraine, that Ukraine is among the top
priorities for the new U.S. Administration. The issue of Crimea and decisive
struggle for the liberation of Crimea also remain among priorities,” Petro
Poroshenko said. The Head of State noted that the meeting lasted almost twice
as long as planned. Petro Poroshenko and Mike Pence discussed coordination of
actions as regards the situation in eastern Ukraine and Russian occupation of
the Donbas territories. They also coordinated efficient steps to form the
Ukrainian agenda of negotiations with Russia.

“I was impressed that the U.S.
Vice President was very well informed about the details of the process that
takes place,” the Head of State stressed. The President invited the U.S. Vice
President to make a visit to Ukraine. The Head of State noted that his meetings
within the Munich Security Conference confirmed strong solidarity with Ukraine.

“It is very important that
Ukraine remained among the main topics of the security conference today and
yesterday. We have received another confirmation of a very powerful global
solidarity with Ukraine that helps us during the aggression of Russia,” Petro
Poroshenko emphasized. The President once again noted that not a single issue
will be resolved behind Ukraine.

Friday, February 17, 2017

February 17, 2017 (Reuters) U.S. Vice President
Mike Pence will seek on Saturday to soothe allies unnerved by his boss'
unorthodox statements on Russia and NATO as he stresses America's commitment to
Europe during the first major foreign address for the Trump administration. Pence
will tell the annual Munich Security Conference that Europe is an
"indispensable partner" for the United States, a message he will
repeat privately in meetings with a dozen leaders over the weekend and on
Monday, a senior White House foreign policy adviser told reporters. "We
are the most secure and most prosperous when both the U.S. and Europe are
strong and united," the adviser said, previewing Pence's trip.

President Donald Trump alarmed allies during
his campaign for office by breaking with traditional Republican views on the
transatlantic relationship. Trump has expressed admiration for Russian
President Vladimir Putin, with whom he said he would like to work to fight
Islamic State militants, and has questioned the value of the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization. In Munich, Pence will hold a series of meetings with
leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Ukrainian President Petro
Poroshenko, and leaders from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Pence will emphasize that Russia and Ukraine
need to fully implement the Minsk ceasefire agreement, and will stand firm on
economic sanctions on Russia related to its aggression in Ukraine, the adviser
told reporters. He plans to discuss counterterrorism in a meeting with Afghan
President Ashraf Ghani, and the fight against Islamic State in meetings with
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Turkish Prime Minister Binali
Yildirim, the adviser said.

On Monday, Pence will hold several discussions
with European officials in Brussels, including with NATO Secretary-General Jens
Stoltenberg. His trip comes amid turbulence at the White House. Trump fired his
national security adviser on Monday for misleading Pence over his conversations
with Russia's ambassador to the United States. Trump was turned down by a replacement
candidate on Thursday. While Pence's sentiments may be welcomed, it may take
more than soothing words to provide comfort, given the depth of anxiety in
Europe about Trump's foreign policy, said Derek Chollet, a top defense policy
adviser to former President Barack Obama.

"He will be trying to be reassuring, try
to soften the edges of some of the president’s recent comments about Europe,
put into context or explain - but I have to think that it’s not going to solve
the problem," said Chollet, now with the German Marshall Fund of the
United States.

Sunday, February 12, 2017

February, 12 2017 (theguardian) Britain is
being hit by dozens of cyber-attacks a month, including attempts by Russian
state-sponsored hackers to steal defence and foreign policy secrets, GCHQ’s new
cybersecurity chief has said. Ciaran Martin, head of the new National
Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), told the Sunday Times there had been a “step
change” in Russia’s online aggression against the west. His comments came as
the chancellor, Philip Hammond, told the Sunday Telegraph the centre had
blocked 34,550 “potential attacks” on government departments and members of the
public in the past six months – about 200 cases a day.

Allegations of Russia-sponsored
cyber-attacks became a focal point during the US election, raising fears that
the tactic was on the rise. Martin said Britain had been hit by 188 high-level
attacks, “many of which threatened national security”, in the last three
months. He told the Sunday Times: “In the case of government departments, [it
is] getting into the system to extract information on UK government policy on
anything from energy to diplomacy to information on a particular sector.” Attacks
by Russian and Chinese state-sponsored hackers on defence and foreign policy
servers are among those being investigated by the NCSC, the newspaper said.

Martin added: “Over the last two
years there has been a step change in Russian aggression in cyberspace. Part of
that step change has been a series of attacks on political institutions,
political parties, parliamentary organisations and that’s all very well
evidenced by our international partners and widely accepted.”

Hammond, a former defence and
foreign secretary, warned that hacks could bring down national infrastructure
and that even kettles, fridges and driverless cars were at risk. Writing in the
Telegraph, he warned that the “internet revolution” brought the threat of being
held to ransom by hackers, the theft of intellectual property and the “shutting
down of critical national infrastructure”. “Beyond hacked kettles and fridges,
‘internet of things’ devices, such as driverless cars, can present alarmingly
real security threats that could be incredibly dangerous if the right security
isn’t in place,” Hammond added. Their comments come before the NCSC is
officially opened in London by the Queen on Tuesday.

Thursday, February 9, 2017

February 9, 2017 (Reuters) Germany hopes to
hold a meeting with Russia, Ukraine and France on the Ukraine crisis at a
gathering of G20 foreign ministers in Bonn next week, a foreign ministry
spokesman said on Wednesday. "We are conducting talks ... with our
partners in Paris, Moscow, Kiev about the usefulness, political usefulness and
logistical feasibility of such a meeting," spokesman Martin Schaefer said.
He said that Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel wanted to organise a meeting of
the four foreign ministers soon to give new impetus to the implementation of
the Minsk ceasefire agreement.

Tanks are seen near the government-held town of
Bakhmut, Ukraine, February 7,

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday
urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to use his influence on separatists in
eastern Ukraine to stop the violence there. Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian
separatists have both blamed each other for the latest flare-up in a conflict
that has killed 10,000 people since April 2014. Schaefer downplayed growing
controversy about an interview given by German ambassador Ernst Reichel to a
Ukrainian publication in which he said that elections were possible in eastern
Ukraine despite the Russian presence in the region and Kiev's intent to
"raise Ukrainian flags at each city council." He said Reichel's
comments did not mark a departure from the German government's views or the
Minsk peace process, which maps out a process for restoring Ukraine's
sovereignty over its full territory after a series of other steps, including
elections. Schaefer also said the German government deeply regretted an
incident in which a Ukrainian lawmaker "smeared" a piece of the
Berlin wall at the German embassy in Kiev in protest over the ambassador's
remarks, saying it was "inappropriate behaviour". He said Germany was
the first country to recognise Ukraine after its independence and remained a
steadfast supporter of Ukrainian reforms.

Monday, February 6, 2017

February 6, 2017 This bronze gun is currently preserving
in the Poltava Battle Museum. It was cast in the early part of the 18th century
by unknown master for the Pryluksky regiment headed by colonel Gnat Galagan (? –
1748). In 1708 he didn’t follow Hetman Ivan Masepa who allied
himself with Swedish King Charles XII on October 28, 1708. However, only 3,000
Cossacks followed their Hetman, with rest including colonel Gnat Galagan remaining
loyal to the Tsar.

Colonel Gnat Galagan and his coat of arms

Later on colonel Galagan helped to the Russian detachment under the
command of colonel Peter Yakovlev to destroy Zaporozhian Sich. For his loyality
to Tsat Peter I colonel Galagan was promoted commander Chigirin regiment.

The
gun bears the coat of arms of the colonel and undoubtedly was cast by some skilled
master.

February 3, 2017 (CNN) The US ambassador to the
United Nations offered a strong condemnation of Russia in her first appearance
at the UN Security Council on Thursday, calling on Moscow to de-escalate
violence in eastern Ukraine and saying that US sanctions against Moscow would
remain in place until it withdraws from Crimea. "The United States
continues to condemn and call for an immediate end to the Russian occupation of
Crimea," said Nikki Haley, President Donald Trump's envoy to the world
body. "Crimea is a part of Ukraine. Our Crimea-related sanctions
will remain in place until Russia returns control over the peninsula to
Ukraine."

Haley was speaking at an
emergency UN meeting about a sudden upsurge in violence in eastern Ukraine,
where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting the Ukrainian army. Her
remarks were notable for the stark difference between her rhetoric and Trump's.